the buff-bellied pipit (anthus rubescens), or american pipit as it is known in north america , is a small songbird found on both sides of the northern pacific .
it was first described by marmaduke tunstall in his 1771 ornithologia britannica .
it was formerly classified as a form of the water pipit .
like most other pipits , the buff-bellied pipit is an undistinguished-looking species which usually can be seen to run around on the ground .
the american pipit has lightly streaked grey-brown upperparts and is diffusely streaked below on the buff breast and flanks .
the belly is whitish , the bill and legs are dark .
the japanese pipit is darker above and has bolder black streaking on its whiter underparts; its legs have a reddish hue .
the call is a squeaky sip .
it has two distinctive subspecies , but morphological and dna sequence differences between them are rather pronounced and they might be considered distinct species pending further research:a .
r .
rubescens (tunstall , 1771), american pipit  breeds in northern north america , extending further south in mountainous areasa .
r .
japonicus , japanese pipit or siberian pipit  breeds in most of eastern temperate asia (including japan)this species is closely related to rock pipit (a .
petrosus) and water pipit (a .
spinoletta), all three forms having previously been considered conspecific .
they can differentiated by their vocalizations and some visual cues , but rock and buff-bellied pipit are not found sympatrically except as vagrant individuals , and the ranges of buff-bellied and water pipits overlap only in a small area in central asia .
both subspecies of the buff-bellied pipit are migratory .
the american pipit winters on the pacific coast of north america , and on the atlantic coast from the southern usa to central america .
at least regarding the american pipit , its wintering range seems to have expanded northwards in the 20th century and the birds seem to spend less time in winter quarters: in northern ohio for example , the species was recorded as "not common" during migration in may and september/october in the 1900s , but today it is considered a "widespread migrant" in that region , found between march and may and from late september to november , with many birds actually wintering this far north .
asian birds winter mainly from pakistan east to and southeast asia , with occasional birds found as far north as yunnan and some in japan apparently being all-year residents or migrating but a little .
the american and asian subspecies are rare vagrants to western and eastern europe , respectively .
like its relatives , this species is insectivorous .
the breeding habitat of buff-bellied pipit is tundra , but outside the breeding season it is found in open lightly vegetated areas , similar to those favoured by the water pipit (a .
spinoletta) .
the first thing buff-bellied pipits do when they arrive on the breeding site , during snowmelt , is pairing .
indeed , males will start to fight one on one to win over the female and pair with it during the entire breeding season .
they also fight for the snow-free sites that would be better for nesting .
the moment is also very important because the melting snow implies an increase in arthropods abundance , which constitute the main food source for these birds .
after the fight and the pairing , nesting is the next step .
nests are most often found on the ground in dry or wet meadows , always with a helpful protection , but they are never placed in shrubs or trees .
the composition of the ideal nest depends on whatever is around the nesting area , but it is usually made of sedge , remains or new fine grass , and sometimes some horse hairs .
the final issue buff-bellied pipits have to deal with is nest success .
the nest is indeed the target for numerous predators such as ants or hawks .
if this step is successful , an egg can be produced .
the female will not lay an egg if the conditions , such as temperature and nesting site , are not optimal .
if the first attempt fails , her time to lay an egg is reduced .
in general , buff-bellied pipits continuously lay eggs over a period of 4 to 5 days after snow-melt (in aprilmay) until mid-july .
after this period , the male testes decrease in size and the female refuses any copulation .
the clutch size is usually 5 eggs but it can vary according to snowfalls , the parents reproductive ability and predation .
eggs are incubated for 1314 days .
during this time , the female does not leave the nest , but is still very reactive to any movement around her .
she communicates by singing to the male that brings her food and defends their territory .
four or five days after hatching , the young is skinny , blue-gray in color , and only has its secondary feathers .
for a week , the female will brood the clutch , but both parents will feed them .
after these 7 days , the birds are ready for fledging but they will still be fed by their parents for 14 days after their departure .
finally , immature birds will form little flocks with other immature birds and wander off .
it is a widespread and common species and not considered threatened by the iucn .
